Find out how popular the last name Reubens is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Reubens.

Reubens, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Reubens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reubens in America

Reubens is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reubens surname appeared 146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Reubens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reubens to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Reubens

The surname Reubens is believed to have originated from the German word "Reuben" or "Ruben," which is a variant of the Hebrew name "Reuven." This Hebrew name has its roots in the biblical figure Reuben, who was the eldest son of Jacob and Leah in the Book of Genesis.

The name Reubens is thought to have emerged in the Middle Ages, primarily in areas of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It may have been initially adopted as a surname by families of Germanic or Dutch descent who were either directly named after the biblical figure or were associated with a place name derived from the Hebrew name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Reubens can be found in the city records of Cologne, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain "Johannes Reubens," indicating the presence of this surname in the region during that time.

The Reubens surname gained particular prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries, largely due to the fame of the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Born in Siegen, Germany, Rubens became one of the most renowned artists of the Baroque period, known for his vibrant and dramatic paintings. His exceptional talent and contributions to the art world brought recognition to the Reubens surname.

Another notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Joshua Reubens (1784-1866), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth. He played an active role in the Reform Act of 1832, which expanded voting rights and transformed the British electoral system.

The Reubens surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Europe. For instance, the town of Reuben, Germany, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, may have derived its name from the surname or the biblical figure.

Other prominent individuals with the Reubens surname include Johann Reubens (1650-1715), a German poet and writer from Cologne, and Pieter Reubens (1611-1676), a Dutch Golden Age painter from Leiden, who was a contemporary of Rembrandt.

While the surname Reubens has its roots in Germany and the Netherlands, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and assimilation into different cultures and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reubens

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Reubens.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Reubens was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Reubens has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Reubens was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Reubens, please contact us.

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